Centrifugal casting machine



Jan. 4, 1938. E. G. TOUCEDA 2,104,380

CENTRIFUGAL CASTING MACHINE Filed May 5, 1934, 2 Sheets-Sheet l Y TOR Kywifim Jan. 4, 1938.

E. G. TOUCEDA CENTRIFUGAL CASTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 5,1934 & II:J%I INTOR X BY A'ITORNE Patented Jan. 4, 1938 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE CENTRIFUGAL CASTING MACHINE Enrique G; Touceda, Albany, N.-Y., assignor to Consolidated Car-Beating Company,

Inc.,

Albany, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 5, msns rm No.724,005

Claims.

ed upon the same rotatable member as the device for melting thenecessary metal.

A further object of the invention is the pro- 15 duction of a device ofthe type described which me'nt selected to illustrate the inventionprorasses, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail and the particular physicalembodiment selected to illustrate the invention, reference will be hadto the accompanying drawings and the several views thereon, in whichlike characters of reference designate like parts throughout the severalviews, 30 and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a device embodying my invention;Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device as shown by Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is avertical sectional view of the device on the 35 plane indicated by theline III-III of Fig. 2, viewed in the direction'ofthe arrows at the endsof the line; Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view onthe plane indicatedby the line IVIV of Fig. 3, viewed in the direction of the arrows at 40the ends of the line; Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view on the planeindicated by the line V-V of Fig. 33, viewed in the direction of thearrows at the ends of the line; Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic viewillustrating a method of controlling elec- 45 trical energy for thedevice of Fig. 1.

The device, in general, includes an electric furnace designated,generally by F, mounted so as to communicate with the inlet of a mold Mso that metal melted within the furnace F may 50 flow into the mold Mwhen both. mold and furnace are rotated about a center. In order tosecure the desired rotation, both the furnace F and the mold lvIaremounted upon an arm A which in turn" is mounted upon therotatable -55spindle S. When the spindle S iscaused 'to..ro-'

tate the arm A is rotated withit so swinging the furnace F and mold Mabout the longitudinal axis of the spindle S whereby melted metal inthe'furnace F is thrown by centrifugal force into the molcl M.

The particular specific embodiment of applicants invention shown in thedrawings includes a substantially hollow, preferably cylindrical basemember I. This bye member I is preferably provided with a iia ge 2apertured, 10 as at 3, for the reception of bolts or screws whereby thebase may be secured to a suitable support.

Preferably within the base member I, an en bearing is provided for thespindle S. This end bearing preferably includes an end plate 4 ofappropriate material to take the end thrust of the spindle S and a ballbearing 5 of usual or appropriate form held in place by the annulus 6and screws 1 to provide anti-friction means for allowing the rotation ofthespindle S and for appropriately maintaining a fixed position for thelower end of the spindle S.

Shoulders 8 are provided on the interior of the wall of the base I. Aplate 9 is supported 2: by these shoulders 8 and in turn serves to sup.-port a spiral spring I8, one end I I of which is attached, as by screwI2, to the base I, and

the other end I3, of which is attached to the sleeve I4 which is free onspindle S so that spindle S may rotate independently of sleeve I4although sleeve, I4 does not move longitudinally of spindle S beingsupported by spring III and prevented from too great movement downwardlyby plate 9. m,

The sleeve M has its upper end, as viewed in Fig. 3, formed into ratchetteeth I6 mating with ratchet teeth I 1 formed in the lower end of a.sleeve I8 about the spindle S: This sleeve I8 is freely movablelongitudinally of the spindle S, 40 but is rotatable therewith by reasonof the longitudinal slot I9 in the collar I8 and the pin 20 in thespindle S.

The construction heretofore described is such that if the spindle S isrotated in a clockwise direction, the pin 20 causes the sleeve I8 toturn thereby causing the teeth I! to engage with the teeth IS on thesleeve I4 thereby causing sleeve H to rotate in a clockwise directionwhich causes the spring III to be tension'ed or wound up. If the spindleS is then freed, it will rotate in a counter-clockwise direction beingdriven by the spring III through the sleeve I4 and its teeth I6 meshingwith teeth I! of sleeve I8 which bearing against pin 20 causes thespindle S to rotate in 5 a counter-clockwise direction. If the spindle Sor any parts attached thereto have considerable inertia therein afterthe spring l8 has been completely unwound there will be a tendency forthe spindle S to continue its rotation. This may be done without windingthe spring in the opposite direction, that is, in a counter-clockwisedirection because when the spring has become completely unwound and thespindle S still continues to turn, the teeth I! of the sleeve l8 willride up over the teeth l6 of the sleeve l4, being permitted by the slotIQ of the sleeve l8, so that spindle S can continue to turn untilstopped by friction without winding the spring M in a counterclockwisedirection.

. In order to suitably journal the upper end of the spindle S applicantprovides a base cap 2| attached to the base l as by screws 22. This basecap is provided with an orifice 23 through which the spindle extends andproperly supports a ball bearing 24, the inner race of which is attachedto the spindle S so that the spindle S is suitably supported in ananti-friction manner enabling it to rotate freely, but is prevented fromlongitudinal movement by the base plate 4 and the collar 25 fixedlyattached thereto and bearing against the ball bearing 24.

At the upp r end of the spindle S, a pin 26 is passed through thespindle and through the hub 21 of arm A. This binds the arm A to thespindle S so that the arm A must turn with the spindle S but the fitbetween the spindle S and the hub 21 is such that the arm A can pivotslightly at the pin 26 so that if the arm A is heavier at one and thanit is at the other it will be shown by the slight pivoting, and, as willhereinafter be shown, may be corrected by a weight adjustment.

The arm A is provided on each side with trackways 28 for receivingslides 29 held to carriage 38 by appropriate means such as screw 3|.This trackway 28 extends longitudinally of the arm A and so allows thefurnace carriage 38 to move longitudinally of arm A.

The furnace carriage 38 supports heat insulation material 32 which inturn supports what I term, an outer crucible cover 33, which ispreferably made of a refractory material which can withstand a veryintense heat without melting. Within the covering 33-is a trough-likemember 34 which is the resistance element of an electric resistancefurnace and to the ends of which the terminals of a source of electricalenergy are connected. This trough-like member 34 is made preferably ofrecrystallized silicon carbide, which is a material having a negativeresistance characteristic upon heating, and is at the same timeinfusible at the temperatures at which it is desired to operate, and isalso quite fairly stable when heated in the presence of air. Thistroughlike member 34 may be formed in a variety of ways but applicanthas found that an appropriate way is to grind out, into the form of atrough, one of the ordinary refractory recrystallized silicon carbonrods now sold as an article of commerce, although direct mouldingthereof may be preferable.

The element 34 is the element which is heated by the passage of electriccurrent and may well serve, in many cases, as the direct receptacle forthe material to be melted so that the element 34 may well be called acrucible and may actually be used as a crucible. In some cases, however,applicant prefers to place a lining within the trough-like member orresistance element 34 to act as the direct receptacle for the materialto be melted. In case such inner lining is used, such as 35, it would bemade of highly refractory material so as to withstand the great heat towhich it is subjected and would preferably be formed as best shown inFig. 3, that is, with a prolonged neck 36 serving as an outlet duct, andwould be open at 31 so that the material to be melted could be placedtherein from above. In order to facilitate the placing of materialwithin the crucible, applicant provides a removable cover 38 which maybe taken away from in place, as shown in the drawings, while metal isbeing placed within the crucible or within the inner lining 35 thereof,and applicant further provides a peephole 39 through which the metalbeing heated may be viewed and through which any gases which may begenerated may issue.

In order to transmit the electric current to the crucible 34, applicantpreferably provides a conducting block abutting each end. -As shown inFig. 3, one abutting block 40 is at one end and a similar abutting block4| is at the other end. These blocks are made preferably of conductingcarbon and are preferably formed with grooves 42 therein in which theend of the crucible 34 rests. In order to make a more perfect electricalunion between the crucible 34 and the end blocks 48 and 4|, applicantprefers to place a conducting cement such as an electric graphite cementbetween the several parts.

The current is conducted to the carbon blocks by means of copper platessuch as 43 and 44 abutting the carbon blocks 48 and 4| respectively.These copper plates 43 and 44 and the blocks 48 and 4| are held incopper stirrups 45 and 46.

The copper stirrup 46 is insulated from the frame 38 by a mica plate 41,and the parts 4|, 44, 46, 41 and the abutment plate 48 of carriage 38are allheld firmly and rigidly together by bolts as 49, best shown inFig. 2. These bolts have insulation under their heads and surroundingthem so as to prevent an electrical connection to the carriage 38.

The members 48, 43, and 45 are held together by bolts, as 5| and 52,together with a mica plate 53 and an apertured steel plate 54. The formof construction adopted is such that all of the parts are held togetherand the apertured metal plate 54 is positioned to receive the end of aplunger 55 against the mica. plate and within the aperture 56 of thesteel plate 54. The mica also serves as a heat insulator to prevent toogreat heating of 55.

The plunger 55 has a feather 51 therein which works in a keyway withinthe plunger shoulder 58 so that the plunger 55 is movable longitudinallybut cannot rotate upon its own axis.

The plunger 55 is provided with an internal screw thread and a screwthreaded rod 68 attached to a hand wheel 6| cooperates therewith. Whenthe hand wheel 6| is rotated in a clockwise direction the plunger 55 iswithdrawn, taking with it a metal plate 54, mica plate 53, stirrup 45,connector plate 43 and carbon contact 48, as 54 fits tightly on 55 andis preferably silver soldered thereto. When the hand wheel 6| is rotatedcounter-clockwise the plunger 55 is in effect merely spring pressed bythe spring 62, that is the rotation of the hand wheel 6| cannot forceplunger 55 into engagement with mica plate 53, but it can, in effect,release plunger 55 so that the spring 62 will press it into contact withmica plate 53. In order to have plunger 55 so act, spring 62 surroundsrod 60 and at one end presses against plunger 55 through theintermediary of spring,

seat 83 and at the other end presses againstru standard 84 through theintermediary of spring seat 88. Y Y

The eifect of the construction described, is that the several parts ateach end of the crucible and the crucible 84 are tensioned to an extentdepending upon the force exertable by the spring 82 I, so that thedanger of crushing crucible and the associated parts is avoided, and ifduring heating the several parts expand, then expansion may be taken upby the spring 82.

In order to conduct current to the copper plate 48, a jumper 88 made ofconducting material is connected from the copper plate to the carriage88. The carriage 88 is in good electrical and mechanical contact witharm A through the bars 28. The arm A is connected by conducting jumper81 to copper sleeve 88 positioned on spindle 8 and a conducting brush 88bears upon the sleeve 88 and is supported by and attached insulatinglyto the member. 2i by means of the screw 18 by which the electricalconductor from one side of a source of potential may be connected to-thedevice.

The copper plate 44 is connected through the conducting jumper H to theconducting plates 12 insuiatingly supported by insulation 18 upon thecarriage 88 by means of bolts, as 14 and 18. Cooperating with the plates12 is the conducting plow or wedge 18 insulatin'gly supported byinsulation 11. bolted to the carriage 88 and having connected thereto aconducting jumper 18 passing down under and up as shown in Fig. 5 andattached by bolts, as 18, and insulation as 88, to the face of the arm Ain position to be engaged by a reciprocating plunger 8i.

The reciprocating plunger 8i is made of conducting material and ispreferably constructed with its upper end having an overhangingshoulder, as 82, which may rest on the top of the member 18. The plunger8i passes through a bore 88 of a plunger carrier 84 supported on themember 2 I but insulated therefrom as by insulation 85 and boltedthereto, as by bolts 88, insulated from the plunger carrier 84. Theplunger carrier 84 is further provided with any suitable means, such ascontact clip 81 held by screw 88, by which a conductor from one side ofthe source of potential may be connected thereto.

For the purpose of properly holding a mold into which metal is to bepoured applicant provides the mold standard 88 forming part of the theinterior of the'extenslon 88 of the crucible I lining 38.

In making use of the device the mold M is put in place and secured byturning the screw rod 88 and the crucible 84 with its associated andsurrounding parts are positioned as shown in Fig. 3 and the hand wheel8i is turned counterclockwise, until the full force of the spring 82 isexerted upon the parts so as to properly hold them together. The metalto be melted is placed in .the crucible, or crucible lining, as the casemay be, after removing the cover 88. The cover 88 is then. replaced andobservation is made to see whether ornot the arm is balanced. If it isnot balanced then the ratchet 88 is moved out of the teethofthe rack 81against the spring by pressingupwardly, as shown in Fig. 1. on them 88of the two arm lever pivoted at I88 on the weight member l8l, and'theweight "I is moved along until the arm A is in balance and then theratchet freed to re-engage the raek 81. Terminals from a source ofpotential are eonnected one to 18 and the other to 81. The plunger 8| is-moved upwardly so that its overhanging shoulder 82 engages the top ofthe member 18 after the spring- I8 has been wound up by a clockwisemovement of the arm A.- The plunger 8i prevents the spring fromunwinding and also conducts the current to the wedge or plow 18. Thepassage of current through the crucible 84 generates heat suilicient tomelt the metal within the crucible or the lin ing 88. when the lining isused the metal doesthe spindle S so as to throw the melted metal intothe inlet 88 of the mold M and so fill the impression in the mold togive the desired article.

In order-to prevent the carriage 88 from moving when the mold M ispushed up against it the spring catch I88 is positioned on the carriage88 to engage with a shoulder I84 on the arm A.

A suitable method of supplying current to the device is shown by Fig. 6in which the connections from a source of potential are indicated as I88and I88. One of these, I88, is connected to the center I81 of anordinary switch arm which is mounted to turn to contact successively thecontact points I88, I88, II8, "L1", and I Irrespectively which aretapped into the primary II4 of a transformer of which the secondary is II8. By this arrangement various voltages may be generated at theterminals of the secondary H8 as de sired. The secondary II8 has oneterminal II8 connected to 18 of Fig. 3 and the other terminal H1 isconnected through an ammeter II8 to any suitable form of overloadcircuit breaker I I8 and then by wire I28 to the'terminal 81 as shown inFig. 3. By this arrangement the desired flexibility and desired energysupply to the crucible is obtalned.

Although I have particularly described one particular physicalembodiment of my invention and explained the operation, construction andprinciple thereof, nevertheless, I desire to have it understood that theform selected is merely illustrative, but does not exhaust the possiblephysical embodiments of the idea of means underlying my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is:

.1. In an electric furnace, in combination: a crucible formed as anelongated trough, open at each end and formed of refractory electricalconducting material; refractory electrical conductingblocks. one appliedremovably to either end of the trough and serving to close the same atone end while the other block has an orifice to permit discharge offused material endwise from the trough: metallic conducting plates, onebearing against each block; and means for applying a diiference ofpotential to the metallic. conducting plates.

'2. In a centrifugal casting machine, in com...

4 arouse bination: an arm mounted for rotation and supportedintermediate its ends; an electric furnace mounted on the arm, saidelectric furnace including a somewhat elongated trough-like memberformed of refractory electrical conducting material; means for mountinga mold upon the arm, said mold formed with an inlet positionable tocommunicate with the trough oi the crucible; means for applying adifference of potential to the ends of the crucible whereby materialtherein may be melted; and means for rotating the arm whereby the meltedmaterial in the crucible is moved .by centrifugal force into the mold,said instrumentalities being arranged in approximately balanced positionrelatively to the axis of rotation of said arm, so that the moment ofcentrifugal forceis exerted chiefly upon said melted material.

3. In a centrifugal casting device, in combination: an arm mounted forrotation; an electric furnace mounted on the arm and formed with anoutlet and terminals; a mold mounted upon the arm and formed withaninlet aligning with the outlet of the furnace; a carriage upon which thefurnace is mounted; means for sliding the carriage longitudinally of thearm and for securing it in an adjusted position; means for rotating thearm; means for preventing rotation of the arm also serving to conductelectricity to one terminal of the furnace; and means for conductingelectricity to the other terminal of the furnace, said instrumentalitiesbeing adjustable into approximately balanced position relatively to theaxis of rotation of said arm, so that the moment of centrifugal forcemay be exerted chiefly upon the molten material.

4. In a centrifugal casting device, in combination: an arm; a spindlepivotally supporting the arm intermediate its ends: means for supportinga mold formed with an inlet on the arm; a furnace carriage; cooperatingslides and slideways on the carriage and the arm whereby the carriagemay be slid longitudinally of the arm; a somewhat elongated trough-likecrucible formed of refractory electrical conducting material supportedby the carriage; means for connecting one side of a source of potentialto one end of the trough-like crucible including a refractory electricalconducting block bearing against one end of the crucible, a metalconducting plate bearing against the refractory block, spaced platessupported by the carriage and electrically connected to the metal plate,a wedge positioned .on the arm to engage between the plates, and

a conductor extending from the wedge to a side face .of the arm, and anelectrical connection from the said side plate to one side of a sourceof potential; means for connecting the other end of the crucible to theother side of the source oi potential; and means for rotating the armwhereby material placed in the crucible may be melted and I thrown bycentrifugal force into the mold.

5. In a centrifugal casting device, in combination: a rotatable member,an electric resistance furnace'mounted on the rotatable member andincluding, resistance element formed into substantlally an elongatedhollow trough; a mold formed with an inlet communicating with the hollowtrough; resilient means to bias said trough and moldinto cooperativerelation; means for applying electric energy flow through the resistanceelement; means for .at times rotating the rotatable member whereby metalmay be melted within-the trough thrown by centrifu 1 gal force intothemold, a; movable abutment roisaid resilient means, .and a quick-actingmanually operable device to'shift said abutment, so

that said mold and said trough are respectively and independentlyreadily demountable.

ENRIQUE G. TOUCEDA.

